ascofuranone and Neoplasm-Metastasis

Ascofuranone is an antiviral antibiotic that is known to exert multiple anti-tumor effects, including cell cycle arrest, inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, and inhibition of angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-metastatic effects of ascofuranone in insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1)-responsive cancer cells.. The inhibitory effect of ascofuranone on cancer cell migration and invasion was assessed using scratch wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. F-actin cytoskeleton organization was assessed using FITC conjugated phalloidin staining. Target gene expression was evaluated using Western blotting and gene silencing was performed using siRNA transfections. Finally, the anti-metastatic effect of ascofuranone was investigated in vivo.. We found that ascofuranone suppressed IGF-1-induced cell migration, invasion and motility in multiple cancer cell lines. The effects of ascofuranone on actin cytoskeleton organization were found to be mediated by suppression of the mTOR/p70S6K/4EBP1 pathway. Ascofuranone inhibited IGF-1-induced mTOR phosphorylation and actin cytoskeleton organization via upregulation of AMPK and downregulation of Akt phosphorylation. It also selectively suppressed the IGF-1-induced mTOR complex (mTORC)1 by phosphorylation of Raptor, but did not affect mTORC2. Furthermore, we found that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation decreased in response to ascofuranone, rapamycin, compound C and wortmannin treatment. Finally, we found that ascofuranone suppressed phosphorylation of FAK and mTOR and dephosphorylation of Raptor in cancerous metastatic lung tissues in vivo.. Our data indicate that ascofuranone suppresses IGF-1-induced cancer cell migration and invasion by blocking actin cytoskeleton organization and FAK activation through inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway, and reveal a novel anti-metastatic function of this compound.

Topics: Actin Cytoskeleton; Actins; Adenylate Kinase; Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Male; Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Sesquiterpenes; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Ascofuranone demonstrated antitumor activity against FM3A murine mammary carcinoma, implanted in the peritoneal cavity of syngeneic mice, C3H/He. It was more effective by treatment prior to implantation than by that after implantation. Treatment with ascofuranone also increased splenic cytotoxicity and phagocytic activity of host animal cells. Moreover, ascofuranone induced inflammatory cells in the peritoneal cavity which are mainly composed of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages. These cells are more potent in cytotoxicity against FM3A cells than with resident peritoneal cells. The antitumor activity of ascofuranone was suppressed by ip administration of silica, just prior to tumor implantation. These results suggest that the prophylactic antitumor activity of ascofuranone is expressed through the activation of phagocytes. Ascofuranone also suppressed pulmonary metastasis of B16 melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma. Treatment after tumor implantation failed to suppress the metastasis. Single treatment of ascofuranone 4 days prior to implantation decreased the metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma but not that of B16, whereas single treatment of ascofuranone 24 hours prior to the tumor implantation decreased the metastasis of B16 but not that of Lewis lung carcinoma.

Topics: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Killer Cells, Natural; Macrophage Activation; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Neoplasm Metastasis; Sesquiterpenes